Are You a Creative Clown Too? The Projects I Juggle

As of today, I am juggling several creative projects. So many things pop up, each an important creative endeavor in its own right, that it’s hard to set each other thing aside in favor of one, so that it is properly worked upon to completion with all speed possible. I know at least I have been unable to do this: I go back and forth, working here and there upon each project that piles up in the back of my mind. For what reason do we create? Surely there is a measure of happiness that results in the process itself–for me, it comes in a meditative state, where all other things go blank, and I am singularly expressing myself through one medium or another. There is also the repressed desire to become something admirable, something that outlives our own physical engine. Artists wish to encapsulate some measure of their own perceptions, with a myriad of different purposes driving that pursuit: some wish to please others through entertainment, while perhaps also providing some lesson or truth at the same time; some wish to merely express themselves at the cost of neglecting possible fans due to the abstract and obscure nature of their endeavors. I believe I create art with a mix of those preceding reasons, and perhaps also entangled therein is the hope for monetary success on top of it all. So the motive for art is no clear force to explain, as it concerns me, but it is a motive that will ride my soul until I die. I have no qualm with that, despite the mystery of it.

These are some of the projects I am mixed up with right now, or wish soon to be:

1. Writing the second book in my short tale of horror series. House For Sale, the first tale, has done well enough, and there seems to be much more interest in horror and mystery than in fantasy. Does that mean I will transition away from my beloved Darkin Saga? No. It does mean that I am not currently writing book 3 of the saga though. As far as the premise for my second entry into my horror short story series, all I will say is that it concerns a strong allusion to the Craigslist Serial Killer of Long Island, currently on the loose there as of this pressing.

2. Filming a documentary called Searching for Barkley. The film is in the stage of accumulating raw footage, though I am editing some along the way to hone my skills and create sequences I think will be useful later when piecing the story together. Film has always been one of my passions, and I am glad I have returned to it. I am shooting on a Nikon D5100, having been greatly inspired by Indie Game: The Movie, which is free on Netflix, and I encourage you to watch. The film revolves around the search for a local legend who once walked the streets of my town, but also, as an incidental effect, it has transformed into something much more: a revelation of the human condition as shown through vulnerability and belief. There will be a trailer posted eventually. I plan to continue collecting raw footage for some time, and it may be a while before this project reaches post-production.

3. Black Hull. This was the book I knew I wanted to write ever since I was writing Darkin 2, or, Darkin: The Prophecy of the Key. Black Hull’s premise is based around the concept of there being “Black Hull” ships in the future–ships that smugglers use because they cannot be tracked by the powers that be, in this book’s case, the UCA (United Countries of America). When something goes seriously wrong with Mick Compton’s ship, he wakes up in a pod, alone and running out of power, hoping to be rescued. The book will be a standalone work, and I hope to have it out by mid-2013, if not earlier. I am currently closing in on 20,000 words, writing whenever I have space itch (or whenever I don’t, and can muster the motivation, as writing has to be done at times when we do not want to write).

4. Drawings and Colorings: I was on a roll, creating more and more art for specifically my Darkin Saga Fantasy Book Series. Lately, with the film, and the various other projects, I have less time to complete artwork, but there are several pieces ready to be colored in. This is a highly enjoyable project for me, as drawing was my first genuine interest in life, and I hope to return to it soon. In the meantime, I urge you to check out the Darkin Art Gallery.

5. Maintaining this blog. Starting a blog is a sort of requirement for any indie author or artist. It allows people to connect with you, along with the process of plugging into social media. At first, I was producing blog entries at the rate of nearly one a day. Now, it is once a week, or roughly thereabout, as life continues to move, and I would often rather work on aforementioned creative projects instead. But it is still a creative endeavor in and of itself, and I have to remind myself to brainstorm once in a while to think of something to blog about. It’s always nice when it just comes to me, as this blog entry did.

6. Music. Despite these other projects, I still, in the back of my mind, wish to record another album soon. I have recorded several over the years, and my discography is quite extensive. The greatest achievement of my musical career so far is getting a credit and use of one of my songs in a Lionsgate Film, nationally distributed this year, called Mancation the Movie. The film features some Hollywood stars such as Danica McKeller and Joey Fatone. The song is called “Smile” and can be heard here. As for my next music project, it will be a country album. But using my music in the documentary I am making also allows me to tap into this creative aspect.

So there, the first six that come to mind. In a book I recently taught, called Speak, a character named Mr. Freeman says something I found interesting: IF you get older and stop creatively expressing yourself, you’ll walk around dead inside. I think I kind of agree with him. I am glad I’m able to make time to express myself still. Not everyone has the same interests as me, but I still believe everyone can find some medium of creative expression and continue to do it their whole life through. As for the reason why? Maybe it’s not as convoluted as I made it out to be at the start of this post–maybe it’s simply so we stay alive inside, and continue to live the dream.

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I write mostly in the post-apocalyptic and dystopian genres, but have written in several others such as horror, science-fiction, and fantasy. Below you'll find some of my latest releases! Please check out My Books Section for a more complete picture of my books.